What if I don’t belong to a church?

There are churches in the area who allow nonmembers the use of their facility for a funeral/memorial service for a donation or fee. We can help you locate one. We also have a chapel within the funeral home at Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Seven Lakes, and Sanford.
 
What about music?

You may select your own with the help of a funeral director, your pastor, or the coordinator at your church. We can provide a list of musicians (guitarists, pianists, organists, harpist, etc.) if you have a specific request.
 
What about DVD’s?

Many of our package selections include a memorial DVD.  You provide up to 50 pictures, hard copies only and no larger than 8 x 10. We do not accept flash drives, CD picture disks, floppy disks, or SD picture cards. Pictures must be received in our office by 3 p.m. one day prior to day of visitation/service whichever is first.

What options are typically customary for a child, baby or fetus?

We offer burial and cremation options for children, babies, or a fetus. In the case of a fetus, options would be on a case by case basis.

What is the window of time to change my mind from cremation to burial or vice versa for embalming/cremation purposes?

It is possible to switch from one disposition to another. However, for embalming purposes, the sooner this decision is made, the more favorable the results. 24 hours is a reasonable guideline for changing the method of disposition. Your funeral director can guide you based on your particular situation.

How long can I wait to bury my loved one if I don’t choose to embalm?

There are no time limits or restriction of time for burial without embalming.  Refrigeration is available to the families we serve who do not choose embalming. However, there are fees incurred for storage if the body is unembalmed.

What are the legal requirements for burial on my family property?

This may vary depending on the municipalities of the city or town where you live. If you reside in a municipality, then one must check with town ordinances or codes in regards to private property internment.  If you do NOT live in city limits, then you may choose to inter on your own property if you desire.

Is a vault required for burial?

A vault for burial is not a state requirement. The cemetery rules and regulations determine the vault requirement. Most private cemeteries and some church cemeteries do not require a vault. However, perpetual care cemeteries do require them.  Please check with the cemetery or memorial park of your choice to determine if a vault is necessary.

Once my loved one has been buried can I move the body or cremains?

Yes, the first step would be to contact the funeral home so that proper disinterment permits can be obtained and filed through the county health department. Fees are incurred when disinterring a body or cremains. Most often times, there are two opening and closing fees involved. Also, there is a risk of damaging the vault during a disinterment. If this is an issue, the family would be responsible for the costs involved in replacing the vault.

Does my loved one have to remain at the funeral home?

After proper disinfection, embalming, bathing and casketing the body, the body may then be taken to a church, community location (i.e- fire department, VFW, school auditoriums, etc.), or to the residence if that is the desires of the family. There is no set rule that says the services have to be held in the funeral home.

What can be placed in a casket?

Families and friends may place any items in the casket that they desire. Some families choose to write notes, leave cards, personal keepsakes, or family heirlooms in the casket that have significant meaning.  It is however recommended that no fresh flowers be placed in the casket because this inhibits the growth of mold in the casket.

Can an animal be euthanized along with a loved one for placement with the body for cremation or burial purposes?

There are occasions when there have been written instructions from the deceased to have the pet euthanized, cremated, and placed in the casket with the loved one.  Our funeral home owns and operates the Good Shepherd Pet Crematory and Cemetery in West End, NC and we are able to accommodate those wishes.

What happens if I have no family, what are my options and who will handle my final wishes?

Several issues arrive if you should die and have no immediate family members or someone to oversee your final arrangements.  Thus, it is strongly recommended that you prearrange and prefund your funeral expenses so that you have peace-of-mind knowing that what you wanted will be honored.  There are some cases where the body becomes custody of the state and the state would arrange for an immediate disposal of the body.

What type of clothing is best for my loved one to be buried in?

There are no special requirements or rules as to choosing the clothing for your loved one.  We suggest that you place your loved one in clothing that they would normally wear on a day-to-day basis. It is sometimes assumed that you must purchase a suit or dress for your loved one. This is NOT the case, you may bring things that was special to your loved one. We do however ask that you please provide us with all clothing to include, undershirt, underwear, socks, hose, slips, bra’s, etc. Shoes are optional based on your personal feeling. 

What cost range can I expect?

The cost for burial can range from $3500-10,000 and for a cremation; a reasonable range is from $2630-$6000.

Who typically handles the headstone, footstone or other permanent memorials?

Our funeral home does not sell headstones, footstones or other permanent memorials, but can recommend a company and a representative to help you accomplish this task. Our funeral home does have a representative of a local monument company on staff to assist you with the selection and purchase of granite and bronze markers.

Who typically handles flower arrangements for the service?

You may order them from a florist of your choice or we will place an order for you. Our funeral home has a working relationship with area florists. We will be happy to take care of this for you so that is one less thing you will have to worry about.

What are the guidelines for transporting a loved one across state lines?

Upon the death of your loved one, our funeral home would pick up your loved one from the place of death and transport them to our funeral home.  At that point, we would receive permission to embalm and prepare the body.  Our funeral home would then coordinate with the funeral home or cemetery out of state in regards to receiving your loved one.  Our funeral home will also coordinate and obtain the burial transit permit that is required by the state of North Carolina for the transfer of the remains.

What if I want to change any burial pre-arrangements after my loved one has died?

If you have purchased a pre-need policy with us, you may change the type service that was originally chosen. However, this will change the way in which the funds are applied. Your funeral director can help explain the process. For example, if you change the service from burial to cremation, then the amount of money in your preneed trust insurance account would be accepted dollar for dollar. Any upgrades or changes would be due from the family at the time of the arrangements conference.